My Own Country

In his book My Own Country, Abraham Verghese gives the reader a glimpse of life into several different cultures embedded within the American culture. The most prominent culture is the emerging AIDS culture, which brings people from all different walks of life into the heart-wrenching story. Like Verghese, the reader is an outsider looking into all of these cultures in which he or she may not otherwise experience. Furthermore, he struggles to make sense of not only the disease, but also to what motivates the actions of the characters, whose lives are ripped apart by the devastating disease. Therefore, throughout Verghese’s work, the reader learns the cold hard reality that AIDS does not discriminate.

No matter the social class, wealth or poverty, AIDS can strike. The most surprising is the depth of ignorance and acceptance present throughout the classes. Though they live in poverty, the McCray family comes together through their crisis. Clyde and Vickie’s families do not turn the couple away as they come for visits. Right before the end of Clyde’s life, the family takes in the couple’s young son so he does not have to see his father at his worst. Similar to the McCray family, Essie and Gordon’s friends and family came together to provide Gordon with a sufficient support system. To read how Essie told the story of the end of Gordon’s life, the reader is left to believe none of the family and friends were afraid to rally around their loved one. Unfortunately, the most educated, the upper class people in the story seemed more intolerant group of people. Their intolerance seems to stem from ignorance about the disease. This is seen several times throughout the book. For instance, the dentists and the pharmacist, all educated people who should have known about HIV/AIDS were the least willing to have anything to do with the victims. Although the pharmacist did not have any qualms about taking the money, he was quick to spread around town which people were infected. From the story of Will and Bess Johnson, the reader is given another glimpse of the intolerance of the upper classes. Though their children continue to be accepting of Will and Bess, the couple adamantly refuse to let the disease be known to their colleagues or the congregation of their church. They fear the knowledge of their condition will further harm their family and possibly harm their friends. This tends to lead the reader to imagine the segment of society the Johnson’s belong to views AIDS in the same manner as Verghese’s Indian counterparts. If the couple had been to a party similar to the one Abraham and Rajani attended, and the couple had been as open about their disease as Abraham was about his work; perhaps they would have felt the same way Verghese did. They may have felt judged or as outsiders.

Other than the economic barriers the reader witnesses as outsiders, Verghese guides the reader through several other cultures in the book. He shares with the reader how different Christians, including himself, find strength through their faith to face the AIDS. He also breaks stereotypes and boundaries set up about Americans from the south, such as racism. Verghese then invites the reader to view the Indian-American culture. Here the reader learns among their own sub-culture, there is a hierarchy. Another sub-culture is the gay culture from where Verghese’s first victims came from. His careful documentation of the victims helps the reader to understand that every person who is affected by AIDS is, in fact, an innocent victim. He tells the stories with both frankness and compassion. Though Verghese seems rather blunt in his description of various sexual practices of his patients, he also allows the reader to feel the emotions that they and he feel. From all of the cultures represented in My Own Country, the reader is able to begin to understand the actions of the members each culture.

Works Cited

Verghese, Abraham. My Own Country. New York: Vintage, 1994.